NMSU agricultural center hosts Field Day

A tractor transported people through the fields of the NMSU Agricultural Science Center Artesia. The tractor stopped in certain parts of the fields for a presentation.(Photo: DeJanay Booth/Current-Argus)Buy Photo

ARTESIA — New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center hosted Field Day in Artesia, giving the community a glimpse of what drives agricultural research and its importance to the economy.

Jane Pierce, New Mexico State University Extension entomologist at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Artesia, sifted through leaves collected by kids and examined the insects trapped there. The majority of the insects collected were caterpillars, nabids and spiders, and Pierce used the opportunity to educate the children on the importance of insects to agriculture.

"It's good to get asked lots of questions. It's good to see the interest. The kids are always the icing on the cake," she said.

Rolando Flores, dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at NMSU, said Field Day was designed to further educate the community about crops and insects and possibly inspire the next generation of farmers.

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Kids participated in an insect safari. They used nets to sweep through a field to collect insects like wolf spiders and lady bugs.(Photo: DeJanay Booth/Current-Argus)

"It's (also important) for the scientists because they can demonstrate to the community what they are doing and for the taxpayers so they can see how their tax funds are used," Flores said. "This is research that is happening here and farmers can learn and put it into practice."

According to a 2014 New Mexico agricultural statistics report, there are more than 500 farms in Eddy County with a total of 1 million acres of farm land.

Flores said the university and the college of agriculture's goal is to determine if the research is essential for New Mexico.

"We're doing a lot of research, tons of research, and it's valuable and impeccable but is this what New Mexico needs for the future? Those are questions that, from time to time, we need to ask ourselves," Flores said.

Eddy County commissioner James Walterscheid said he found the presentation about glandless cotton research interesting because it explores other uses of cotton, a crop that is prominent in Eddy County.

"The seeds have the potential of being a food product for humans, that's what they were talking about," said Walterscheid, who serves on the Southeastern New Mexico Research Association board of directors. "They say that in the future, it's possible that the cotton plant will be more valuable as a seed crop than as a lint crop."

Pierce said the community is welcome to visit the center with question about agriculture or a particular insect, which she said the staff would be pleased to answer.